Sometines I blog about things we should care about... Sometimes I blog about things that you can ignore... I am what you might call a Desktop Activist. I love to share interesting articles that I come across from time to time.

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Colour yourself healthy!

Many
of us were told as children to ‘eat our greens’, but what about our reds,
blues, oranges and yellows? A novel way of looking at nutrition is by
categorising fruits and vegetables by virtue of their colour. The reason behind
colourising the diet all has to do with specialised plant chemicals (called
phytochemicals) that impart colour as well as flavour to fruits and vegetables.

Phytochemical
nutrients, like the ones found in colourful fruits and vegetables, can help
prevent heart disease, certain cancers, and other diseases attributable to
lifestyle and ageing. When it comes to choosing fruits and vegetables, go for
those with deep, vibrant hues and pick from a variety of colour groups. Each
plant pigment, from the red in tomatoes to the blue in blueberries, is
associated with its own unique health benefit and choosing from a variety will
ensure you get the full range of phytochemicals.

• Red –A plateful of tomatoes
and chillies will have you dosing up on the powerful antioxidant lycopene.
Diets rich in lycopene have been shown to have a negative association with
certain cancers, including lung, colon, liver, and prostate. Red foods also
help maintain a healthy heart and are great sources of vitamin C. • Purple –Eat beetroot or cherry to fight
against cancer, improve circulation, and ward off age-related memory loss.
Purple fruit and vegetables are also rich sources of vitamin C, folate, fibre,
and potassium. • Orange –A carrot or a serving of
pumpkin a day is said to be beneficial in preventing cancers of the lung and
breast. It also helps protect the skin from sunburn. Beta-carotene plays an
additional role in enhancing the immune system. Orange fruit and vegetables are
also high in folate, vitamin C, and vitamin E. • Green -The carotenoid pigment lutein
gives colour to kiwi fruits, green peppers, and other similarly shaded veggies.
Lutein is best known for its protective effects on vision. These foods are also
good sources of folate, minerals, and fibre and help maintain strong bones and
teeth.

Adding
more colour to your daily diet is not only a great way to better health, but
also helps add some variety and fun into a diet that can become boring and
monotonous. Every time you bite into a deeply coloured fruit or vegetable,
think about the cocktail of essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids,
antioxidants, enzymes and phytochemicals that are working together to prevent
disease and promote your health and wellbeing.

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